Found Stars On Shocking Kiss Between [REDACTED]: "Like I Was Just in My Own Little Romantic Film"
After one-and-a-half seasons of romantic build-up between them, these two characters finally took the plunge.
**SPOILER WARNING! The following contains major spoilers for Found Season 2, Episode 15!**
After one-and-a-half seasons of gradual romantic build-up between them, two main characters finally took the plunge and shared a tender kiss in Season 2, Episode 15, "Missing While Seeking Asylum," on NBC's Found.
We are, of course, talking about the relationship between Zeke Wallace (Arlen Escarpeta) and Lacey Quinn (Gabrielle Walsh), who became platonic roommates once the latter escaped Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) once again earlier in the season. Since the newly-traumatized Lacey could not return to her apartment alone, it was decided that she'd be safer at Zeke's fort-like domicile, from which the agoraphobe tech whiz runs all of M&A's digital operations.
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While the amorous chemistry has been undeniable for a long time now, Walsh and Escarpeta say they never discussed their characters' intertwined journey with series creator, showrunner, and executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll when they first joined the hit missing persons drama.
Did Found stars Arlen Escarpeta and Gabrielle Walsh know Zeke and Lacey would end up together?
"Most of what I received when Nkechi sat me down was about Lacey being abducted again, her escape, and how she’s finding herself," Walsh tells NBC Insider over a joint Zoom call with her co-star. "I don’t think she we went over the Zeke and Lacey [trajectory], but we knew. We’ve seen the little things that they’ve been adding in."
"It's been floating there for a little bit of time now," echoes Escarpeta. "Like Gabrielle, I didn’t know exactly when or how it was gonna happen. As a cast, we’ve all talked about, ‘What is gonna happen with Zeke and Lacey?’ They’re always joking and teasing us about it. So now that it’s actually here, I was excited. I was happy for them and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! It’s finally happening!’"
Found stars take us inside Zeke and Lacey's kiss in Season 2, Episode 15
With Sir now behind bars, Lacey decides to leave Zeke's place for good in Episode 15 (directed by longtime television vet Michael Schultz). But something keeps her lingering on the threshold and before we know it, she and Zeke are sharing an intimate kiss — a major plot development the two actors only learned about once they received the script written by Michael G. Peterson. In fact, Walsh had it spoiled for her by series lead and producer Shanola Hampton (Gabi Mosely).
"I believe it was Shanola who was like, ‘Ooo, so Zeke and Lacey!’ And I’m was like, ‘Wait, what? What are you saying? Oh, it’s about to happen?’" Walsh recalls. "I think for Lacey, I had this level of, ‘Uh-oh!’ Like 'Yes, but [also] oh, God — what is this shift gonna be? What is this change gonna be?'"
Escarpeta says he was a little "nervous for Zeke" in the run-up to filming the scene. "Even though it’s acting and we’re doing this scene, I was trying to figure out, ‘When does he make the move? How does it happen?’" he notes. "Thankfully, I had a great scene partner with Gabrielle and a great director with Michael Schultz, where we really got to navigate our way through it and just find it. We got to find the moment organically and still make it magical for TV, but I was very, very nervous for Zeke. It felt like a first kiss."
"I felt like I was just in my own little cute romantic film," Walsh concludes. "There was a lot of dialogue as Lacey’s leaving, trying to be like, ‘Alright, friend. I’m leaving, but I don’t really wanna leave and here we are at the door.’ That anticipation [of], ‘Is something gonna change? Is something gonna shift?’ All this anticipation building up to that moment and just being there at the door [and Lacey wondering] 'Is he gonna kiss me? Is this gonna happen? Is this it? Are we gonna say goodbye?' Then he pulls her in and it’s just this epic, beautiful moment that I think is shared. It’s like, ‘Where do you go from there?’"
New episodes of Found air Thursdays on NBC at 10 p.m. ET and stream next day on Peacock.
